CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Mason

"This is your fault, you know." Ally is standing on Reggie's doorstep with her arms crossed, one hip jutted out. Her eyelids fall over her eyes in an affected glare, her pink lips twist in frustration. This is anything but my fault and Ally knows it. "You traded in my perfectly functional truck for a 1990 Wrangler with headlights that just stay on. "

"Be fucking for real, Honeybee. I wasn't the one who left those headlights on and drained the battery." I snarl. I knock on Reggie Donovan's front door. Ally's standing behind me, but out of the corner of my eye, I can see that she's biting her bottom lip, bouncing on her heels.

"And I wasn't the one that decided to trek all the way to the middle of nowhere for no good reason." She huffs a breath out of a thin line that forms across her lips. Footsteps become audible inside the house, and Reggie answers the door. I smack Ally lightly on the arm so she can smarten up around my client and stop being a brat.

"Sorry to do this Reg, but is there any way we can get a ride back into town? My darling Ally here left the headlights on, and the battery is dead." I explain through gritted teeth.

"No can do, son. Don't have a vehicle here. You're welcome to come in and make some calls, though." I give him a nod. We go right through to the living room. Ally sits on the couch while I pace around the room, considering who to call first.

I dial the one and only person who could be available at a moment's notice and more than willing to help: Hudson.

"Hudson here," he answers. His voice always has a friendly lilt to it.

"Hey, I'm in a bit of a bind and wondering if you can help." I explain the situation and what I need from him: jumper cables or a lift into town to get my truck and jumper cables.

"Can't help you out today. We just got called out to a structure fire just outside of town. Some abandoned bed-and-breakfast. We'll be out there well into the evening." No problem. No problem. I end my conversation with Hudson and call Grady. Busy at the bar. His only other bartender called in sick, so he's stuck serving, and the place is as packed as it gets on trivia night. Jett? I don't bother calling Jett. I doubt he'll even answer.

Winnie. I try Winnie. She's playing bridge with her neighbours and she's on a winning streak with money on the table.

"Have you tried calling Poppy?" I ask Ally.She rolls her eyes at me. Still pissed then.

"Yep. No answer."

"Keep trying," I say, and Ally nods.

"You're more than welcome to stay here and find a way back to town in the morning," Reggie suggests. I look at Ally and try to invisibly shake my head. As soon as Reggie looks away, I'm mouthing the word NO in all caps. There's only one thing I want to do less than spend a night in the middle of nowhere with a man who doesn't believe in modern technology, and it's spending a night in the middle of nowhere with a pissed-off Ally Wells.

"That would be lovely, Reggie." Ally pastes on a smile and the most chipper voice she has, which, to be fair, is Ally's everyday voice. "We'll get out of your hair first thing tomorrow. Didn't Hudson say he could come by in the morning, my love?"

My molars grind together. "Yes, sweetheart, yes he did."

Reggie shows us upstairs to the room we can stay in. The one room. I point to the other two doors down the hall.

"What about those rooms?" I ask. Reggie quirks a bushy grey eyebrow and glances between Ally and I. Right. He thinks we're a couple in love.

"We aren't—" Ally starts, but Reggie interrupts her.

"Oh, you two haven't—say no more. Say no more." I notice Ally's face flush as she realizes what Reggie has implied. Ally and I are celibate. I stifle a laugh. If Ally and I were dating, there is no way we would be celibate. "Unfortunately, the other two rooms haven't been set up for guests at the moment."

Reggie walks down the hall and opens both of the doors for us to see. One room is full to the rafters with plants of all different species. The other has an overwhelming musty smell emanating into the hall.Ally covers her nose the moment he opens the door.

"This is where I harvest my mung beans," he says, very matter-of-fact. "Well. I'll let you two get settled in, and then you can join me downstairs. I'll fix you some supper. Oh, and just so you're aware, use the jug of water next to the sink for drinking. The water here is a little iffy. One sip and you'll be on the toilet for a week."

Ally's face turns a cute little shade of chartreuse next to me. Even nauseated, she looks cute. I close the door to the mung bean room to stop the stench from leaking into the hall. Reggie turns and heads back down the stairs as Ally and I retreat to the bedroom he has offered to us.

"I don't want to know what Reggie plans on making us for supper. Those mung beans are enough to put me off my meal," Ally says as I shut the door behind me. I take in the room. It's not small by any means. It's decorated in the same tasteful rustic cabin theme as the rest of the house, so the atmosphere is cozy. There's an ensuite to the right, with a jug of drinking water on the counter.

"It was your idea to stay," I say blandly. There is no way I'm going to let Ally forget about this. Not for a long time to come. That's assuming she'll be in my life for a long time to come.

"I didn't know about the mung bean situation when I agreed to it. You'd think for someone with this much money, he would at least spring for potable water."I say as I mime a gag

"Off-grid, remember? Reggie mentioned once that he doesn't appreciate the government adding fluoride to his water." I recall.

"Fluoride in the water seems a hell of a lot better than having the shits for a week," Ally says, and I can't disagree.

Ally and I head downstairs to join Reggie in the large open kitchen. I'm surprised that the aroma coming from the stove is mouth-watering. Reggie turns as we enter, a tea towel thrown over his shoulder.

"Make yourselves comfortable. There's wine on the table. I made it myself. The grape crops weren't as good this year with the cold snap we had in the spring, so it might be a little tart."

I pour Ally a glass and hand it to her before pouring myself one. She takes a sip, more than a sip. A gulp. And the expression on her face makes me glad that Reggie has his back turned. She looks like she stuck an entire lemon rind in her mouth. Her lips pucker as she cringes. Even when she's tasting something foul, Ally's lips make me wonder what they would feel like around my cock. It twitches at the image playing out in my mind.

I close my eyes and plead with the universe for something half-edible as Reggie wanders over and puts a plate down in front of us. I peek one eye open and am relieved to see a delicious plate of pasta with a beautiful red sauce and fresh basil.

"Reggie, this looks … amazing."Ally croons.

"Made it all myself. Right down to the wheat. Well, my chickens made the eggs. But they came straight from the coop."

"If the wine is any indication of how good this will be …" Ally says. She sounds sincere but based on her reaction to the taste of it, her statement is ironic. I give her a kick under the table and a look that says behave .

Despite our skepticism, the pasta is, in fact, delicious. I have a hard time holding back a moan as I take the first bite. The sauce is made from fresh garden tomatoes and herbs and the result is incredible. Maybe there's something to this off-grid thing.

We finish up dinner, and Ally and I excuse ourselves so as not to impose on whatever plans Reggie has, foraging for more food, or spinning his own yarn. Who knows what the man does in his spare time.

"Did you hear from anyone about a ride?" Ally asks as she trails behind me on the staircase leading to our guest suite. I shake my head no.

"If I had heard about a ride, we wouldn't still be here, would we?" Ally clicks her tongue in response to my snark as we retreat to the privacy of our room.

"It's a good thing Reggie's under the impression that we're saving ourselves for marriage. He would have thought we were boning up here for sure,"she says once the door is fully closed.

"Boning? Jesus, Ally," I say. But I do want to bone Ally. How long has it been since I've had sex, anyway? Too long, and the erection that the word boning on Ally's lips has given me is a harsh reminder of that.

"Would you prefer I said making love? " Ally bats her eyelashes.

"I'd prefer we weren't talking about this." I need to change the subject before my erection becomes visible under my jeans. Picture of something unsexy. Ally with an enormous piece of spinach in her teeth. It does nothing to suppress the arousal that's about to make itself known. I would pick a piece of spinach out of her teeth just to be near her. God, what is wrong with me?

"Hey, you didn't exactly pipe up to clarify that we aren't a couple."

"Wouldn't that ruin the illusion for Nate?" I cock my head toward her.

"I guess. But be honest, when is Nate going to cross paths with Reggie and talk to him long enough to learn the truth?" Ally is right. Truthfully, I don't mind being Ally's fake boyfriend anymore. I wouldn't mind being more.

"It's a little early for bed. What does Reggie do all day with no TV, no phones, no nothing?" Ally says, throwing her hands up.

"I'm sure he just sits around and reads,"I say, my statement clearly sparking an idea in Ally's mind as she raises her hand.

"I brought my book! I've been meaning to finish it." Ally jumps up and heads over to her bag that she dropped by the door earlier.

"What am I supposed to do?" I ask. "Sit here and watch you read?"

"I don't care. Be a big boy and occupy yourself. Go on your phone or something. Don't you have TikTok?" I shake my head. I'm not one for social media. Never cared for it.There's no service and no Wi-Fi here, anyway.

"Why don't you read to me?" I suggest. Ally's eyes go wide as she reaches around in her bag for her book. "Do you not know how to read aloud?"

"No, it's not that …" Ally puts the book away, her freckled cheeks turn a deep shade of red as she says suddenly. "Nevermind. I don't want to read."

"Oh, come on, Honeybee. Show me your book." I go over to where she's standing and pull the book out of her bag. The cover has a shirtless man on the front, and I now know why Ally is reluctant to show it to me. My mouth twists into a cheeky grin. "Read to me, Ally," I demand, shoving the book at her. I want to see how Ally pretends there isn't a spark between us while she's reading me an erotic novel.

"Fine. But you asked for it. Remember that," Ally says, taking the book and walking back over to the bed. The singular queen bed. For us both to sleep in. I lay next to her, head propped in one hand, a shit-eating grin on my face, waiting for Ally to begin. She opens the book and glances up at me a few times.

"Go on, I'm listening."

She starts, and it's simultaneously better and worse than I was expecting. It's so much more explicit than I anticipated. So much for killing my boner.

" She's slick and wet underneath me. My cock is pulsing with need as I take it in my hand and guide it into her crease ." Ally's stare is boring a hole through the page, and I'm surprised the entire book hasn't burst into flame from the heat in her eyes. Good. Lean into the heat, Honeybee.

" I push into her. In and out. In and out. God, what type of horrible writing is this? Do I need a play-by-play of every thrust?" Ally says with a giggle that loosens the tension between us. " She shudders, her walls clenching around me. ‘ Good girl, come for me. '" Ally's breath does a nearly imperceptible hitch. Nearly imperceptible. "I should stop," she says, looking up at me.

Her face is hot and flushed, and she's breathing deeper than before, her chest heaving. She's right. She should stop. Trying to make Ally crack and admit there's something between us has been a fun little game. But she said no, and I'm not one to cross boundaries.

"I'm going to get some shut-eye. You should, too. Hudson will be here early to pick us up before work," I say, shuffling down on the bed to make myself more comfortable. I don't dare stand up from the bed right now. I have my hard length concealed in my pants the way I'm lying, but it would be very apparent the second I stood up. Ally nods and goes into the ensuite. I hear the tap run for a while. I assume she's splashing cold water on her face. Like I need to.

I shut my eyes when I hear the bathroom door open.

"Are you not going to get under the covers?" Ally asks.

"Um. No. You can have the covers." Being under the blankets with Ally is too tempting. I don't trust myself. And I have a newfound resolve to be respectful. Very new, as of like, ten seconds ago.

"Don't be ridiculous, Mason. You can sleep under the covers."

"If you insist. But don't blame me if you can't keep your hands off me and we wake up spooning." I climb underneath, not bothering to take off my clothes.If I'm going to sleep under the covers, I'll need to keep my pants on.

"You would be the little spoon, right?" Ally teases, her blue eyes shimmering as she gives me a playful jab with her finger. What I wouldn't give to be Ally's little spoon … but I don't admit it.

"In your dreams, Honeybee." I quip instead.

"Can you turn around?" Ally asks. "I don't want to sleep in my scrubs and I'd rather you not look."

I do as she asks and turn over to face the wall, but the mirror leaning in the corner of the room gives me a sliver of a glimpse of the lace underwear Ally has on before she slips under the covers. The very weight of Ally in the bed next to me sends a warmth right through my bones. It's comforting in a way that I haven't felt in a long time, if ever.Something inside me slackens and sinks into the mattress a little more than before she laid down.

I shift over to my back and stare up at the vaulted ceiling, hands crossed over my chest. I'm trying to think of anything but Ally lying next to me in her bra and thong. Trying not to imagine what it would be like to take them off. I'm still determined to get Ally to admit that she feels this, too, but doing it while we're lying next to each other in bed just seems unfair and a bit sleazy.

"I'll sleep better tonight, although we're stuck in a stranger's house. At least, a stranger to me," Ally says into the dark of the room. "I won't have to worry about Nate finding me here."

I turn to face her. Despite the night enveloping the room now, I can see the outline of her face close to mine. She blinks her long eyelashes, eyelids heavy.

"Is that something you worry about?"I ask.

"Sometimes. More so now, since he showed up the other night when you were over. Thank God you were there, too. Now, I kind of toss and turn, playing out scenarios in my head, planning out what I would say if he showed up and I was alone."

Ally's statement makes me realize that she's afraid of Nate, and the thought makes me seethe with rage. How much control must he have had over her life to make her afraid like this?

"Do you want me to come and stay at the cabin with you? Because I would." Ally's breathing is becoming slower.

"No, you don't need to do that, Mason. I know how you like to be at the clinic. Thanks, though." Her voice trails off, becoming sleepier.

"I mean it, Honeybee. I will ruin him the second he does anything to you."

She doesn't respond, so I don't know if she's heard me or not.I toss and turn for a while before falling asleep next to her.